CODEX Video Synopsis

1. GS Odin, President of Nutrient Carriers

Video clip shot September 23,1998.

GS Odin, President of Nutrient Carriers, Inc. of New Mexico and New Zealand standing on street in Berlin discussing the Codex meeting which had just concluded. In this segment Odin discusses the demonstration held by Dr.Rath, which he participated in against the Codex meeting.

GS Odin was the only American manufacturer present at the meeting who is attempting to truly defend consumer access to vitamins, and he is to be applauded for his efforts. In this segment we see the banner draped off the building across the street to protest the Codex meeting. It was put there by Dr.Matthias Rath, whose website should be visited at http://www.rath.nl

2. John Hammell discussing CODEX meeting

Video clip shot September 23,1998.

This segment shows John Hammell standing on a Berlin street discussing what just happened at the meeting. In the background you can see a large banner draped off a building that was put there to protest the Codex meeting. The banner was put there by Matthias Rath, MD, who also held a huge demonstration in front of the meeting with over 1000 protestors. The banner can better be seen on Rath's website at http://www.rath.nl It shows monster hands, dripping blood, representing the pharmaceutical industry as they come out of the sky attempting to squeeze the life blood out of the planet, while the benevolent hands of consumers protect the earth.

In this segment I discussed the fact that the FDA had not made the NAS Risk Assessment Document available for download in its entirety before the meeting began. I did a search after getting back from the meeting, and they didn't have the whole unabridged version of the document available until long after the meeting was over. Why didn't they have a public comments period to solicit input on this document? Why didn't they send copies to everyone on the US delegation in advance of the meeting? Why did they ignore the written request from the Chair of the Government Reform and Oversight Committeee that it be removed from the agenda?

There is a need for an Oversight Hearing to address these issues, and to examine the work histories of the people at the National Academy of Sciences who generated the document… If any of them currently are employed by pharmaceutical companies, especially if they are multinational corporations who have played a role in harmonizing laws world wide pertaining to the sale of dietary supplements or herbs, then it was absolutely a direct violation of US law, (which forbids harmonization of US vitamin laws). Even if this sort of collusion can't be proved, the effect of the NAS document is to force harmonization, so it should still be withdrawn from the table, and Dr.Yetley should be fired for violating current US law.

3. Pre Meeting of the US Codex Delegation Day Before Codex Meeting

Video clip shot September 23,1998.

Dr.Yetley of FDA caught on tape refusing to make changes to draft. US comments in accordance with written requests from Congressman Burton, (Chair, Gov. Reform and Oversight Comm), joined by Cook, Stump, Pallone, Defazio, and Paul.

Current US law forbids harmonizing our dietary supplement laws to Codex standards or to more restrictive laws overseas. The first paragraph of The US Comments was ok, calling for the withdrawal of agenda item #5 on vitamins and minerals, and for the issue to be left to national authorities to decide. The second paragraph contradicted the first, however, and lent credence to the idea of establishing Upper Limits (U.L.s) for safe vitamins. Despite the fact that none are needed, and no UL's have ever been established for pharmaceutical drugs. (Anything, even Water can be toxic at some level).

4. CODEX Video Meetings

Video clip shot inside the Codex meeting on September 24, 1998

Footage shot inside the Codex meeting on September 24, 1998 illustrates total lack of transparency in the Codex process. (I was forced to stop taping just ½ hour into the meeting. This segment begins with the guy next to the Chairman noticing me taping, and worriedly tapping him on the shoulder to warn him to stop me. The Chairman then announced in German that it was forbidden to videotape Codex meetings (we Heard the translation in English.) He then opened the issue to discussion.

The first person to speak out against videotaping was Dr.Cheney of the Canadian HPB. She didn't want me to tape because of trouble I'd caused her two years previously when I stirred up Canadian consumers who protested the Canadian Negative list proposal for herbs, which threatened to ban the sale of a lot of safe herbs from international Commerce. At the meeting in Bonn, Cheney initially announced that Canada was backing off from the Negative list proposal in deference to the will of the Canadian people, but then she REVERSED her Position at the end of the meeting, claiming that there wasn't enough time or expertise within the Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Use at Codex to properly address the issue, And that it should instead be taken up by a special committee at the World Health Organization (Where the herbs will be considered "drugs" not foods, as they are at Codex.)

The first person to raise her hand to second this motion was Dr.Beth Yetley, who did so in opposition to current US law. She was rapidly seconded by delegates from Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy who were looking over to her expectantly when she raised her hand to second the motion. As if on cue, they then raised their hands I expected the Chairman to force me to turn my camera off, and he did. The Codex process is a shell Game. They couldn't get away with what they are trying to do if the public could see and analyze what Is really going on. The public should be able to see a complete videotape of all Codex meetings. Not everyone can go to Germany to attend in person. A person shouldn't have to travel across the ocean To defend his rights in his own country. The US should get OUT of the UN, and stop wasting taxpayers Money by sending people to these meetings when they don't act in the best interests of the American People.

Additionally the FDA refused to remove the NAS document titled "A Risk Assessment Model for Establishing Upper Limits for Nutrients" from the agenda. This document advocates establishing a "U.L." for niacin of just 35 mg. It is highly biased, and could be used to restrict consumer access.